What changed Finkelstein
by WyvernWynne
Summary: Doctor Finkelstein wasn't always the controlling, overprotective man he is today. He used to be happy – carefree even, with a smile always upon his duckbilled face. He has a wife, and together they were expecting a child. And then he lost them both. This is their story. [Finkelstein x Jewel]
1. Small Bump

**Synopsis-** Doctor Finkelstein wasn't always the controlling, overprotective man he is today. He used to be happy – carefree even, with a smile always upon his duck-billed face. He has a wife, and together they were expecting a child. And then he lost them both. This is their story. [Finkelstein x Jewel]

**Author's Note-** This takes place as if the movie wasn't ever made and Jewel is as dead-alive-ish as Doctor Finkelstein! I hope you all enjoy! I think I need a beta reader though!

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**Chapter One **

**Small Bump**

"Doctor…" she called softly from down the ramp, making her way up quickly and quietly when she heard him vaguely call back from the lab. She bit her pale lips as she entered the lab, smiling at the sight of her beloved – working on some mystery potion for the upcoming Halloween celebration. She walked up behind him – her black heels clicking against the stone floors as she wrapped her arms around her partner from behind.

"Hello there, my precious Jewel." He greeted, removing his black latex gloves and wrapping his hands around her arms in a soft hug. He turned his wheelchair around and looked up at her – unable to help but notice she looked slightly worried. "What's the matter, my dear?" He asked, reaching a hand to touch her arm in a comforting gesture.

"It's nothing, really." She replied, quickly replacing the worry on her face with a smile. "I just think I need to go and get some groceries." She explained, using one hand to smooth her platinum blonde hair with a reassuring glance at his face. "What are you working on, dear?"

He was quick to turn back to his work and explain to her what his current project was. "I'm making a serum for the Pumpkin Queen, Alberta, she isn't feeling too great – and being this late in her pregnancy, it wouldn't be very good for her to get sick." He frowned solemnly. The royal family were a large part of Halloween Town life – they had to be, they were the ones who arranged the festivities every year, though the queen – for obvious reasons – couldn't contribute this year. "Go and get the groceries, love, I'll be here when you get back and hopefully this serum will be ready.

Jewel nodded and frowned – she was friends with Erik and Alberta, the Pumpkin King and Queen, and it hurt her to know that there was a chance they could lose their unborn child and potentially the queen if she got sick. She kissed the Doctor's cheek. "Okay, I'll grab my shawl and then I'll be off, do you want anything dear?" She asked, walking towards the door.

"Maybe some Wormswart, so we can have soup for dinner?" He suggested with a smile before turning back to his work as she left.

Jewel stood outside the lab door, leaning against it with a heavy sigh; her hand moving to her lower abdomen. "I will tell him about you, later." She murmured softly before walking to the room they shared and found her white furry shawl. With her shoulders covered by the shawl she made her way down the ramp and outside, closing the door firmly behind her before she tottered into town.

The first place she went was the Witches Shop, after browsing for a while she found the Wormswart and Frogs Breath, as well as a few balls of wool and knitting needles to add to her set at home. She went to the counter and paid the two witches the ten souls her basket contents cost. With a smile she headed to sit out on the fountain, dipping her fingertips into the lime green water, it was such a vivid and pretty colour, but Jewel preferred the colour blue – it was a colour rarely seen here.

"Jewel!" Someone in the crowd called, startling her from her reverie. Her face of shock was soon one of joy at the sight of her childhood friend – Erik, the pumpkin king. At the sight of his skeletal grin she couldn't help but return it with a giggle. "How're you?" He asked, hugging her briefly before stepping back politely.

She giggled at the hug, embracing him back before saying. "Everything's great actually, It couldn't be better – How's Alberta? I heard she was unwell…" She replied, looking at him curiously for an answer. Absentmindedly placing a hand on her stomach as her mind flashed back to what may or may not happen to Alberta.

"She's not great, but I'm hoping your husband can help – I'm on my way to pick up some ginger and honey actually to try and calm her stomach a bit." He murmured softly. "Can I escort you home?"

"That's not necessary, but thanks for offering – you need to tend to your wife and your future baby, I'll drop by as soon as the serum is complete with it and some supplies." She said, hopping off the fountain side and grabbing her basket with her stuff.

Erik nodded. "Alright, you're a big girl now – tell the good Doctor I said to have a good evening, will you?" He asked, touching her shoulder gently as she nodded. He sighed softly and grinned. "I'll see you soon."

Jewel smiled as the chipper skeleton strolled in the direction she had come – the witches shop. She began to walk to her home, rubbing her stomach absentmindedly as she opened the door and entered the kitchen. "I'm home!" She called up the ramp as she placed her basket on the table and set a cauldron onto the stove as she heard the Doctor's wheelchair whir to life at the top of the ramp.

* * *

"That was wonderful Jewel." The doctor complimented his wife, holding her hand across the table sweetly. They had just finished eating the soup they had made together and Jewel had become increasingly nervous over the course of the meal – several times in fact. "Dear, is everything alright?" He asked, squeezing her hand before she sharply pulled it away and looked at the floor.

"I'm not sure, darling; I think I have to tell you something…" She trailed off, standing up and clearing the plates, heading to the sink and dumping them in the warm green water with a huff. The Doctor's chair whirred behind her until it was beside her and he tugged at her shawl until she looked at him.

"Jewel…" He coaxed softly. "What's going on?"

"I…" She began but stopped – words were failing her, so instead she took his hand and placed it upon her stomach. "I'm pregnant." She murmured, closing her eyes. The doctor was silent – his face a display of wonder and delight.

"I'm going to be a father?" He asked, quietly. Her black eyes opened and gazed down at him before she nodded, placing her hands on top of his. "How far along are you?" He asked, gazing up at her with awe and excitement – so atypical to his usual moods, unless he was working on a new and thrilling project.

"Uh… I think maybe fourteen weeks, I wasn't sure until two weeks ago – I just needed to make sure, so I went to see the witches." She replied, her face melting into a happy smile. She was genuinely happy – she was sure he wouldn't have approved, and would have even grown angry at her, but he was the opposite. "I love you." She murmured softly, stooping to hug him sweetly and nuzzle against him softly.

"I love you too, both of you." He whispered back, hugging her tightly.

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**Author's Note Two - I hope you enjoyed this, and that you will R+R, they are like cookies. This will be updated every sunday - I'm aiming for seven chapters til the end. But if any of you have any suggestions to what I can add, feel free!**


	2. Skellingtons

**Chapter Two**

**Skellingtons**

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"Doctor!"

There was a sharp pounding on the door downstairs, followed by a persistent ringing of the screaming bat bell which caused Finkelstein and Jewel to sit up sharply in their beds with alarmed looks. They both quickly got up and dressed, with Jewel helping her husband as they raced to the door, opening it to reveal a desperate Erik Skellington.

"Doctor! We have to hurry, it's Alberta; something is wrong!" He explained hurriedly, and before he could say anymore Jewel was running to the lab, pushing the heavy door for access before darting around the room for the Doctors tools and a basket full of potions ingredients if they were needed. She was back down the ramp and out the door - the two men had left, it was an emergency after all.

The pale skinned woman raced across the town square just in time to reach the Skellington Manor gate, being greeted by a few of the nocturnal creatures as it was a bit past midnight, as the Doctor and King headed inside, she was quick to dart up the stairs to the door and entered just before it closed. The three quickly made their way to the hall and to the nursery - conveniently on the ground floor for cases such as this, Erik entered first and went to the single bed where his wife lay. Alberta was paler than normal, and her sockets were weakly half-open.

The doctor moved to the other side of the bed, taking his bag of tools from Jewel and opening it to pull out a stethoscope, he quickly placed it in his ears and rested the cool diaphragm to the queen's chest and then to her stomach. "There's something wrong with the baby." He muttered, watching as the parents both grew ever whiter at those words. Jewel was at the Doctor's side in a second.

"What can we do?" She asked softly, placing her potions basket on the edge of the bed. The Doctor looked up at her grimly before looking at the Skellington couple.

"We are going to need to deliver the baby, it's a couple of days late, and you're in no condition to carry it any longer." He said sternly, watching as Alberta's sockets widened and she swallowed. "If we don't, you could lose it, and risk your own life."

Erik looked at his wife, stroking the black hair that grew in wavy locks, now plastered to her face from the sweat of a fever. The pale queen nodded and breathed deeply before hoarsely murmuring. "What do we do?" She croaked, coughing a moment after.

The doctor looked to Jewel. "I need a fox tongue and bat wing potion." He said to her, and she moved her basket to a table and quickly set up as the doctor explained what was going to happen to the couple and their baby, explaining there was a low chance of anything bad happening and that this had been expected for a while due to the Pumpkin Queen's age - five centuries is quite old to be having children.

Jewel, meanwhile, was chopping the ingredients, boiling them in witch hazel water over her Bunsen burner, making sure they were just so in order to achieve the desired effect of inducing the labour within the skeletal queen.

* * *

After a few hours of agonising waiting all was silent within the Skellington Household, Jewel placed her hand on the doctors shoulder and he placed his hand on hers. They had done it, together. Erik stroked his wife's hair and gazed down at the tiny being within her arms, a little boy who was surprisingly quite healthy, for all the trouble he had caused. He was wrapped in a towel, and his wide eye sockets blinked a few times - adjusting to the dim lighting of the room as he was cradled to his mother's bosom.

"Thank you, Doctor." Erik smiled at the other couple, his skeletal grin nearly splitting his face in half with his pride. Jewel smiled and watched as the two new parents shared a soft kiss and a cuddle with their child, she inattentively rubbed her stomach, rounded slightly from her own pregnancy. The queen's nine months of carrying the baby had been hard, but Jewel knew now that she could do it - as long as she could feel what the parents were feeling now; the joy and pride plastered over their pale faces.

"We should go," The Doctor said, "It's four in the morning and I'd like to get some rest, you two should probably do the same, after feeding him of course. I've left some formula I made over there." He waved his hand to where Jewel had previously set up her potions kit. He turned and wheeled his chair into the hall, his bag of equipment on his lap. His duck-billed wife, however, hesitated at the door. She turned to face the couple and asked softly.

"What will you call him?"

"Jack, Jack Skellington." The king replied with a soft smile.

* * *

Author's Note - So, that's another chapter down, It's a cute babeh Jack! He will be appearing in the next few chapters :) please review!

I'd like to thank Loli-otaku for her kind review and hope she enjoys this chapter! (I think you're a she?)


	3. Queasy

**Authors Note; **Another chapter for you guys! I hope you like it! Four more to go! I know I'm dragging it out, but... That means more feels!

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**Chapter Three**

**Queasy**

The next few days passed in a blur - the doctor and Jewel spent more time at the Skellington manor than they ever had before. The pair were primarily trying to restore the queens health and she was growing stronger with every passing day. Jewel took over the general duties of looking after young Master Skellington with everything except feeding - which she refused to do as it was a key part of the bond between a mother and child. Jewel bounced the young baby gently in one arm - he was incredibly light! But he was a skeleton after all. She stirred the cauldron containing the wormswart and slug soup the queen had asked for, the green coloured liquid swirling beneath her constant and rhythmic stirring, stopping only when she had to add a little more of something to the soup.

"Oh little Jackie, what will I ever do with you?" She asked, chuckling as he tugged at her blonde hair with a yawn - his grip was strong for a baby, but that was normal. She reached to readjust him in her other arm and carefully release her hair from his four digit grip. She crooned to him softly, turning the heat of the stove down to simmer she swayed the baby sweetly in her arms. "You'll have a friend soon - a little girl I think, would you like that little Jackie?"

In response the tiny Pumpkin Prince looked up and blinked his large eye sockets with a soft gurgle, his wide mouth forming what must have been a smile; or at least what Jewel interpreted to be a smile. She lifted him and rubbed her nose against his gently, crooning sweetly and rocking him against her chest. She turned as she heard the approaching totter of footsteps and the whir of her husbands wheelchair. She looked up just in time to see the queen - still paler than usual, but looking generally healthier.

"Alberta, you need to rest." The doctor said soothingly, tugging at her long robe. "It's not healthy for you so soon, and Jack is perfectly fine - Jewel has it all under control."

"Oh hush doctor." Jewel softly rebuked. "Alberta just needed to get out of bed for a bit - I'd go crazy if it were me in the bed all the time." She moved to pull a chair out for the Queen.

The skeletal woman looked at Jewel with a sweet thankful smile, she sat on the chair and wrapped her arms around her little bundle when he was passed to her. "Oh my boy," she crooned, kissing his forehead and snuggling him close, her entire body growing more alive looking at being near to her son. Jewel placed a hand on her robed shoulder and smiled at the almost touchable bond between the two - it was hard to sever a bond such as that, particularly when the Queen nearly died to deliver the one she now held so dear.

"Would you like some soup, Alberta?" Jewel offered as she moved to stir the dark broth. The queen nodded as she reached for Jack's bottle, giving him his dinner whilst she waited for her own. She smiled as Jack sleepily yawned and snuggled close to her as he finished his meal, his large mouth opening into a perfect, sweet little circle. Jewel couldn't help but smile and touch her own rounded stomach before placing four bowls on the table. The pale skinned woman then wrapped her hand in a towel and grasped the hot metal handle of the cauldron, placing it in the centre of the table.

As she did, the front door could be heard opening and closing - King Erik had returned for lunch, as Jewel had foreseen, hence the fourth bowl. "Good afternoon, Erik." She greeted with a smile. "Sit down, I'm about to serve." She chuckled at the familiarity of his broad skeletal grin, always present at the mention of food.

"Ah Jewel, I could smell your cooking all the way across the square - it is truly divine." He complimented in the true Skellington fashion as she filled each bowl with the thick green broth. She reached to take Jack from his mother and place him in the Moses basket in the corner - set up for times like this or when Jewel was otherwise occupied or whilst Jack slept.

The four of them sat down and began to enjoy their meal, the queen excused herself half way through, saying she was full and tired. Erik had helped her up to bed before he returned to his meal. The doctor was the first one finished and took his bowl to the sink, soon followed by Erik. Jewel was the last one at the table as she let out a soft sigh - suddenly not so hungry. She stood up and placed the cauldron over the stove, emptying her untouched broth inside. She moved to the sink and filled a glass cup with the murky green water from the towns supply before gulping it down hastily.

The doctor moved to examine Jack, checking his health and his development before going to his wife's side. "Are you okay, Jewel?" He asked, looking up at her through his black laboratory glasses. "You didn't eat at lunch." He pointed out.

"I'm fine, just a bit queasy." She admitted - her stomach felt funny and the smell of the broth made her insides feel like they were curdled. "It's just because I'm pregnant - I read about it."

With a soft chuckle the doctor rubbed her hand. "It will be worth it, dear, it will be worth it."


	4. Ghouls

**Authors Note; **I am so sorry for abandoning you guys! Things got crazy - like being kicked out of the house. This chapter is mostly a filler... But... It is necessary! To explain what is going to happen in the next chapter.

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**Chapter Four**

**Nighttime Ghouls**

It had been five months since the birth of the young prince, and Alberta had recovered splendidly. Jewel was rounded with child, though her face seemed pinched with strain - as expected of a young mother. The young woman stood in the town, it was late, and her back was hurting. She perched on the fountain and stared at her reflection, Jewel fixed her hair into its usual place and smiled softly. It soon faded at the sight of the sun falling - there were worse things in this town than the mere vampires, there were deadly creatures that scared with the intent of harm.

She got up and began to hurry home as carefully as she could, being careful not to trip on the way. She swallowed uneasily - she felt uncomfortable, and there was a prickling on the back of her neck. She was being watched, she hurried faster under the street lamps, being mindful of anything that could trip her unbalanced frame. Her breathing was heavy with the exertion as she entered the small front garden of her home. She shut the gate and peered through the small glass panel - there was a shadowy dark five-pointed shape, she shivered as she realised that it may have been the one watching and following her.

She turned and wrapped her shawl tighter around herself as she calmly walked up the stairs - she was safe, only a few seconds from home. She tottered up to the door and let herself in with her skull-shaped key before tucking it back into her bosom. She removed her shawl and placed it onto a hook, walking to the sink to take a glass of water - now she was inside it was easy for her to shake her head and chide herself for being so silly. Why would anybody be following her?

"Jewel!" The cry came from the top of the ramp, shortly after the doctors chair soon reached the bottom. "Where were you? I was worried sick! You know that in the past few months bad things happen to those that are out after dark - they die, and for real that time." He sighed and rubbed his cranium before popping it open to scratch his brain. "I think the dangerous creatures have come back."

"I'm sorry, love. I just needed to go for a walk - I wasn't feeling to well. The time just got away with me." She explained softly, not daring to mention her suspicions of being stalked. She wrung her hands together uncomfortably - luckily the doctor was looking elsewhere as she did, otherwise he would have caught on that she was hiding something. She placed her hands on her rounded bump and sighed softly.

"What do you mean, dangerous creatures?" Jewel asked, sitting in a chair carefully. "I wasn't aware there were any."

"Oh my dear, there are many." He said, moving his chair into the empty space by the chair for himself. "Before Erik was king, there was a tyrant - a horrid being that scared with the intent of harm." He almost spat the words. "The lineage of bug beings, horrendous looking beings composed of bugs they have hypnotised into becoming the substance of their being."

Jewel watched quietly, had one of those beings been watching her?

"When Erik was younger, around three centuries ago, he hosted many hunts for these beasts until the brink of extinction, he exiled the rest - unable to quite wipe out a species as he too is a man a science." He resumed explaining after a brief pause, he added. "He made a mistake - in the past few centuries they have multiplied, and their vengeance has grown. They've been waiting for Erik to weaken - and with our Kings mind focused on his own child... I suspect they are moving in."

"Is there anything the town can do?" She asked, and in response he shook his head; his cranium once more closed. She rubbed her stomach gently. She shut her eyes and sighed. "I suppose only Erik is strong enough to keep them at bay?"

He nodded. "That is correct, and until he is back on track I don't want you out past sunset without an escort, is that clear?" He took on an authoritative tone, which softened at her agreement. "I'm sorry my dear, I must seem cruel - but I only care for you and our baby, I don't want anything to happen to you."

Jewel took his hand and smiled softly. "I think we should have tea, don't you?" She enquired and stood up carefully, moving to put the kettle over the stove to heat as she prepared two cups.

* * *

Jewel woke in the morning, their bed was empty and the door pulled to, the doctor must have gone to the lab. She sat up and with a hand on her stomach she stepped into her slippers and wrapped herself in her dressing gown. She moved to the kitchen to get a drink, sitting at the table as she sipped the glass of water she had poured herself. Once finished, she dressed and brushed her hair before heading to work on the nursery.

The room was painted a soft blue-grey, like the sky of the human world on an overcast day. A wooden cot was pressed against the far wall, along with a rocking chair and some shelves of toy skeletons and bats for the baby when it was born. Jewel went to look down - but could hardly see her feet over her childbearing abdomen. She felt a sharp kick - the baby was moving. Jewel sat on the rocking chair and hummed softly, reaching for her knitting and setting to work on a small coloured square - the starting of a patchwork blanket.

She hummed the anthem as she worked, in a few hours she had produced ten squares of many colours. She'd take them to her sewing machine once more were completed. Jewel sighed and rubbed her stomach - it was afternoon, almost time for dinner. She headed down the ramp once more and into the kitchen - suddenly quite wanting some wolfsbane stew. She grabbed her shawl and glanced up the ramp - the door to the lab was closed. She grabbed her purse and tucked it into the front of her dress before heading into town, specifically the witches shop - hunting down the item she had been craving. After waiting in the queue, always busy as sunset approached. She shifted nervously and tapped a foot edgily as she awaited the witch to finish her transaction. Jewel was quick to hurry across the square - doing her best to ignore the prickling feeling taking hold of her as night fell.


End file.
